Love Once More
by LynnPens
Summary: Ten years ago, Nicky Merrik suffered a loss that left her mourning...
1. Ranting

**Love Once More**

**Disclaimer:** Though set in the Harry Potter universe, the characters are all mine. They only use magic, that's all... so the magic is not mine, but J.K. Rowling's. Thanks.

**Rating: **K+ for a bit of light language.

**A/N: **It's been a long time since I've written anything story wise, so constructive criticism would be much appreciated. Constructive does not mean, "This is terrible" without an explanation, by the way. Thank you.

**Summary:** Chivalrous men are hard to come by now-a-days. Nicky Merrik realizes this, and while she would like to find someone to spend the rest of her life with, she thinks so little of many men – as in, they exist to look pretty and reproduce – that it is difficult for her to find anyone suitable, in her opinion. However, men seem to appear by the strangest means…

* * *

"Why is it so freaking hard to get a nice guy now-a-days?" A tall, leggy woman demanded as she marched through the mall. Her best friend, a shorter woman with dark blond hair, had to jog to keep up. Bystanders, though they really were walking, not standing, glanced in her direction as she strode past. "Stop blocking the way!" She snapped at a group of teenagers standing outside one of the stores.

They glanced over at the raging woman and scuttled over a bit to allow for easier passage.

"Well, that's something," She grumbled, stepping around them and continuing.

"Nicky, hun, not everything will be as easy for you as it was for me." Julianna Cullen said soothingly, quite used to her friend going off on strange tirades. She wasn't, however, used to running through a mall simply to be able to match Nicky's furious pace. Nicky's pause to stop to yell at the group allowed her an opportunity to catch up. "Slow down!"

Nicolette Merrik, finally realizing how long her stride was, and how much her companion had to do to compensate for it, slowed her strides. She sighed, casting her emerald gaze around to look for the nearest bench. "I'm sorry, Julie… It's just that all men are bastards. Nothing as sweet as your Keith, and it irritates me. All most guys want is a night in bed." Her eyes flashed in anger as she recalled one of her friends' stories. Her guy friend dated another girl, and managed to end up in bed with her on the second date. The second. Freaking. Date. Even now, years later, she was angry at the guy, though she didn't know him. "You ended up lucky and had your parents decide, and your personality allows that. I want to find someone on my own, and it's simply not working!" There. In front of Borders, was a small bench between two fake palm trees. With a disgruntled noise, she walked over and plopped down on the bench, dropping a large shopping bag beside her.

"Yes, luck was with me on that." A slightly panting Julie settled down next to her, though with quite a bit more decorum. She gently placed her own bag of clothing beside her. "Your Prince Charming will come along soon enough… you just have to keep your eyes open." She set her purse in her lap and unzipped it before rifling through, searching for an object.

"It's to your left, Julie." Nicky offered helpfully, leaning back and stretching her long legs out before her. She was dressed in a long, black, hip hugging skirt that fell to her knees. As for her top, she wore a fashionable black cami, covered by a see-through burnout top. Her luxurious dark brown, slightly curly, hair was left to its own devices, and it had done very well, for miscellaneous strands fell to frame her face. Her features were bold; her cheekbones rested high upon her face, providing a little hill upon which brilliant green eyes peered out from under thin eyebrows. "And oh, yes, soon. After I'm dead, maybe. And there are times when I don't think it's worth it…"

"Now, now, don't be that way! Besides, Prince Charming is worth waiting for." Julie moved her hand over to her left a bit as suggested, and shook her head incredulously. Her hand reappeared a few seconds later with a small hairbrush, which she ran through her shoulder length locks. Pale green eyes flickered over to her friend, taking in her now relaxed manner. "And how is it that you, in your four-inch heels, can out-run me like that?"

"I don't think I really believe in a Prince Charming anymore, Jules. At least, one who won't vanish on me…" Nicky replied, half-laughing. "As for out-running you… it's not hard. I've had lots of practice in heels, and besides – I have longer legs than you." She tapped her foot slightly, bringing attention to the black strapped stiletto sandals she wore. "You should change into your new clothes, by the way."

"Why? I'm already married. There's no reason to go around impressing – or teasing – the 'dumb' males around here. Besides," she nudged her friend playfully, "you look fabulous enough for the both of us." Julie chose to ignore the gentle barb about being almost a foot shorter than her best friend. Or, to be a bit more precise, she was three inches less than a foot shorter than her friend while Nicky wore her heels.

"You're such a liar, Julie. You look nice as well."

It was true. Julie was dressed impeccably in black slacks and a cream top with sheer, bell sleeves. To complete the more professional look, she wore black leather flats decorated with a silver buckle. Her hair was pulled back with an elegantly wrought sterling silver clip, or at least, had been before she took the clip out to re-do her hair. "Well…" The woman said, putting the brush away at last. "I still think you should be looking."

"I've given up on the male sex! If all my guy friends tell me I'm so amazing, then why is it that I don't have a boyfriend? You can't really talk, since you're already married. I think they've given up on me as well, though, since I absolutely refuse to bed anyone until marriage, or somewhere close to that… so I guess we're even? "

Before her friend could reply, a dark shape appeared in their vision just in time for them to see it trip over Nicky's outstretched legs. The woman winced and withdrew her legs, before sliding off the bench to her knees. "Are you all right, sir?" She inquired, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. He was cursing rather vehemently under his breath. "Paying attention to where one is walking is a good idea, you know."

Julie was trying to resist the burst of giggles that threatened to overcome her. She stood up, and walked around to the front of the fallen figure and offered him a hand. "It happens to everyone," she noted soothingly after fashioning her face into a polite, smiling mask.

The man looked up, and Nicky was startled by the icy pale blue of his eyes, even if they were narrowed in frustration. "Keeping your legs tucked in the hallway is a good idea as well, miss," he retorted, ignoring Julie's offer of help and getting to his feet.

It was Nicky's turn to stifle her amusement. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "True, very true. However, as it's easier to relax with my legs out…"

"Find somewhere else to relax, please." he noted, nodding to both of them before continuing on his way.

"Have a nice day!" Nicky called vaguely after him. It was with a considerable bit of giggling the two women stepped together to watch him walk off. "He has a nice rear, Nicky… and I didn't see a wedding ring on his hand." Julie commented.

"I didn't see anything but his eyes," her friend was staring after the man, noting his confident walk and how his brown hair, slightly long, would be the type that would be perfect to run one's hands through… "But yes, he does have a nice rear." Nicky sat back down, smiling. "Watching him fall was rather entertaining as well, I have to admit. A-splat!"

Julie, too, took her spot again. "He has a nice taste of dress. For walking through the mall, alone, that is impressive enough, but to be wearing something as nice as slacks, loafers, and a black silk button-up shirt… well… yeah. Not to mention that he has a fun sense of humor. I can see that already."

"Rich as well, then, with lots of time on his hands. I get it. Julie, just because he happened to stumble over me and he's cute doesn't mean I'm going to deign and ask him to tea or something just for that. As an apology, sure… But not specifically for the purpose of--"

Her friend cut her off. "Uh-huh. Suuuure, Nicky. If you did, and he accepted, you'd be in heaven, for you'll get an excuse to drool after him longer," Julie laughed, picking up her shopping bag and standing up. "Coffee time, then?" she held out a hand to help her friend up.

"That's not the point!" Nicky answered indignantly, accepting Julie's offer and grabbing her own bag before standing. "But yes, lets go. There's better coffee at the other end of the mall. It makes the food court coffee taste like sewer water. When you ask for whip cream, they give you plenty… and they're generous on the chocolate as well."

"Lovely. Shall we?"

The two started their slow meandering toward the coffee place, discussing the guy, and guys in general, as they walked.

* * *

Yes, I actually plan on advancing with this story more than I did with DA. Please review. 

-Lini


	2. Strange Sights

**Love Once More**

**Disclaimer:** Though set in the Harry Potter universe, the characters are all mine. They only use magic, that's all... so the magic is not mine, but J.K. Rowling's. Thanks.

**Rating: **K+ for a bit of light language.

**A/N: **It's been a long time since I've written anything story wise, so constructive criticism would be much appreciated. Constructive does not mean, "This is terrible" without an explanation, by the way. Thank you.

**Summary:** Chivalrous men are hard to come by now-a-days. Nicky Merrik realizes this, and while she would like to find someone to spend the rest of her life with, she thinks so little of many men – as in, they exist to look pretty and reproduce – that it is difficult for her to find anyone suitable, in her opinion. However, men seem to appear by the strangest means…

* * *

The normal five minute stroll turned into a twenty-five minute wandering. The women's chatter had been punctuated by exclamations of "Oh, that's so pretty!" and "Come on!" as one or the other dragged and got dragged into a department store. 

Therefore, it was nearly half an hour and another shopping bag's worth of items between the two of them later before Julie and Nicky finally arrived at Dante's Coffee, a small coffee stand in the middle of the walkway. "Two small mochas with whip cream, please," Julie said brightly to the young, and probably underpaid, woman behind the counter.

The woman managed a small smile before typing in the order in the cash register. "That'd be $5.63." With that, she left the counter to make their coffee.

"It's your turn to pay, Nicky," Julie poked her friend in the side, making the other squeak. "Cough it up." The two of them took turns paying for each other's food orders; Nicky was rather bad at remembering who paid for what last, and Julie happily antagonized her friend a bit while prodding her memory.

"But I…"

"I paid for lunch, remember?"

"Oh, right." With a mock-disappointed sigh, Nicky set down her bags to retrieve her wallet from her purse. "Why does it-" She started irritably, dumping makeup, lip gloss, and old receipts on the counter, "-take freaking forever to find anything in a small purse?!" A packet of travel tissues and three pens joined the small stack. "You'd think I have a gazillion things in here… A-ha. Finally." She pulled a five from her purse and laid it near the miniature mountain. "Juuuuulie. Got three pennies I can borrow?" Nicky questioned, dropping two quarters and a dime on the counter. "Or I can use a nickel, I suppose…"

"Use the nickel," Her friend replied, picking up one of their cups of coffee. "Thank you."

"Welcome," The employee nodded, going back and collecting the money. "Two cents is your change."

"Danke!" Nicky grunted in thanks, shoving everything back into her purse, and swinging it back over her shoulder before picking up the shopping bag and her coffee. She walked over and joined Julie at one of the small tables in the area. Her bags went on the floor again, and she sat down, huddling over her coffee, just smelling it, a blissful smile on her face.

Julie giggled, though she knew that the look on her own face when she first took a sip of the mocha must have been similar. The lady had put in just the right amount of chocolate, and just enough milk and coffee that the drink that was normally really good went to amazing. To pass the time until Nicky returned to herself, Julie began to study the other occupants at the surrounding tables. She stopped on a pair of guys sitting not too far from them. Both of them looked rather familiar, but she was not quite sure where she had seen them. "Nicky." Julie tapped her friend lightly on the shoulder. "See those guys behind you?"

Nicky blinked, regaining her surroundings once more. "What?"

"Those guys. Behind you. They look familiar. Where have we seen them before?" She said again.

Nicky turned around to stare over two tables. It was hard to judge their heights, but if she had to, she would place one of them being almost as tall as she, even in heels, while the other seemed to be her height without heels – five foot eleven. The shorter one had sandy brown hair that seemed to have resisted anything that he might have been trying to do to it, for it sat like a bird's nest on top of his head. Nicky couldn't help but smile at that – there were days when she felt the same way about her hair, though, she hoped, it had never looked quite as bad as that. He also was fair skinned, and had a fairly small nose. The taller one, in contrast, had perfectly trimmed black hair, tanned skin, and strangely familiar features… She frowned in thought. "No, I'm not… no," she shook her head. "I don't remember…"

A few moments later and some hard thinking about nothing but the men over there, Nicky gave a start as Julie's slightly panicked voice filled her consciousness. "He's getting up! Nicky! They're coming toward us!"

Nicky quickly turned back to her friend, having seen for herself that the subject of their observation and his friend were coming toward them. Julie was determinately staring down at her coffee cup, though her pale green eyes flickered up to watch the incoming man. "Is he right behind me yet?" She questioned, her mouth clenched, the words being forced out in a soft tone. "Uh… erm… So. About that… um… scarf you bought… think I could borrow it sometime?" Nicky added, trying for a sense of normal conversation, though she knew that it would be to no avail. They had been obviously staring, and that was plenty hard to hide, especially if one was caught doing so, yet it didn't mean that she wouldn't try.

Julie hesitated for a moment, then, as she caught onto what she was trying to do, responded, "a-ah… sure. It's not like you don't raid my closet every so often anyway…" Her eyes grew wider as she glanced up somewhere behind Nicky's shoulder, then nodded. "Yeah." She added quietly with a nervous smile.

"Hello, ladies," a voice came from somewhere above Nicky. She turned around to see him naught but a foot away, his expressions serious all but the small rise at the corner of his mouth. He was indeed around as tall as she placed him, perhaps a fraction of an inch taller… His friend stood behind him and some, for he was a half head too short to really stand right behind him, looking highly amused and grinning at the three of them.

* * *

**A/N: **Bit late of a posting, but I had severe problems beating this chapter out -- it was supposed to include more, but I decided that part was more suited for chapter three. Also -- I just realized (DUH, Lin), that I uploaded the wrong story for chapter two for some reason. Must have been in a huge hurry. Here's the real chapter. xDD 


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